A lost nation

Pakistan has been facing acute gas and electricity shortage for some years now and one would have thought that even before forming his government at the centre Nawaz Sharif would have some idea how to go about it, if not solving it, than at least reducing its impact. However, it looks like years of comfortable living in a Saudi palace have made him very complacent, which is the politest way to describe the situation. It seems as if he did not actually plan anything until after he took the oath of his office. Being a thrice elected PM one would have thought that his past experience would have been an asset but it looks as if he learnt nothing from his past mistakes.The first thing towards solving the electricity problem was to clear the circular debt and his government promptly paid over nearly Rs.500 billion, with a promise that people will soon see an improvement by way of reduction in load-shedding hours. The nation saw no such change only an increase in their bills! The government could help people by installing solar-panel and related appliances manufacturing factories, and until the time manufacturing starts, initially importing these from abroad and supplying small units to the masses on easy installments. I think government initiative in this regard would be far more productive than the 'laptop' scheme.If despite having the capability to stop drone strikes, as stated clearly by a former air chief Air Chief Marshal Tanvir Mahmood Ahmed, we do not have a will to end these, then please just bear them instead of wailing at various forums and thus making impotence of leadership of a nuclear power known to all. It only makes us a laughingstock.S R H HASHMI, Karachi, October 11.